Keelhilla, Slieve Carron

Keelhilla, Slieve Carron is a national nature reserve of approximately 360 acres (1.5 km2) located near Carran, County Clare, Ireland. It is managed by the Irish National Parks & Wildlife Service.

Keelhilla, Slieve Carron
Keelhilla, Slieve Carron
Location of Keelhilla, Slieve Carron in Ireland
TypeNational
Locationnear Carran, County Clare
Coordinates53°05′06″N 8°59′46″W
Area360 acres (145.69 ha)
Operated byNational Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland)
StatusOpen all year

Features

Keelhilla, Slieve Carron, sometimes referred to as the Slieve Carran Nature Reserve,[1] was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1986.[2][3] The site forms a part of the wider Burren limestone landscape located on the north-east edge of the Burren plateau, with a karst topography. The sites includes karst pavement, scrub grassland, and woodland.[4][5]

Some of the features of the reserve which fall under European priority habitats are the orchid bearing calcareous grassland, limestone pavement, and petrifying springs. Among the recorded animals there are choughs and peregrine falcons, and a herd of feral goats.[1] A rare glue fungus has been recorded on the hazel trees growing in Keelhilla.[6] The site also contains an early medieval ecclesiastical settlement associated with St Colman mac Duagh, with a number of archaeological monuments including a stone oratory, a holy well, and a graveyard. There are some older archaeological sites in the reserve dating from the Bronze Age. The site has two designated walkways.[1]

References
  1. "Visitor Management Proposal - Slieve Carran" (PDF). Burren Geopark. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  2. "S.I. No. 346/1986 - Nature Reserve (Keelhilla, Slievecarran) Establishment Order, 1986". electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB). Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  3. "The Biodiversity of County Clare". Heritage | Planning, heritage and conservation - Clare County Council. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. "Keelhilla (Slieve Carron) Nature Reserve". National Parks & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  5. "Clare". National Parks & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. Clements, Paul (28 December 2011). "An Irishman's Diary". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
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